Convertible: 2013 BMW M6 Cabriolet

2013 BMW M6 Cabriolet

PHOTO: Handout, BMW

By David Booth, National Post

Originally published: October 31, 2012

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BMW’s M6 Cabriolet would appear to have it all. It has all the wonderful technology that makes the M5 such an icon: a 4.4-litre twin-turbocharged engine that vrooms, an adjustable suspension that both coddles and handles and big old six-piston front brakes when you decide to use the first two to their ultimate potential.

Add in sexy styling, a touch of class and a droptop roof for motoring al fresco and it’s almost too much to resist.

The only problem is the latest rendition of BMW’s convertible hot rod weighs in at a whopping 2,050 kilograms of road-hugging weight. To put that in perspective, a few of the other cars that weigh in the same region are the Porsche Panamera Turbo (1,975 kg), BMW’s own M5 (1,990 kg) and Cadillac’s replacement for the DTS, the XTS (1,821 kg).

You’ll note that all of those are four-door sedans and not particularly lithe or sporty ones at that. It affects everything about the M6. So, for instance, though that monstrous 4.4L twin-turbocharged V8 still sports an eyeball-crushing 560 horsepower, you have to rev it a little harder than the similarly endowed M5 because even its 500 pound-feet of torque has to work harder motivating all that weight at low rpm. And the suspension, so firm in the M5, is a little flaccid in the M6 Cabrio, at least in the Comfort setting.

Where even the Comfort setting is firm enough in the M5, the same choice in the M6 lacks rebound damping, with the rear end bouncing around a little over big bumps. It all goes away as soon as you switch over to the Sport or Sport+ modes, but it does further illustrate the penalty one pays for packing on too many kilograms.

That said, the M6 is a pretty impressive beast, scooting to 100 kilometres an hour in just 4.3 seconds. Set on full battle stations – engine, suspension and steering boost to Defcon 4 – the Cabrio will scoot around corners with alarming alacrity. The only issue is that you’re left with the impression that it could be so much better if only BMW would send it to Weight Watchers.

Perhaps the price to be paid for BMW’s incredible ability to make outlandish performance seem so civilized is some extra weight around the middle.